Folding and creasing device



Dec. 8, 1953 F. J. REYNOLDS FOLDING AND CREASING DEVICE Filed June 1, 1950 wvNvi T 9 U/ v 3 4 INVENTOR FFA/VA J Rim 040s.

BY cza /zw i ATTO R N EY Patented Dec. 8, 1953 2,661,947 FOLDING AND cans-sine sewer; Frank J. Reynolds, "North Brunswick, :N. -J.', a signor to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Application J une 1, 1950, 'Serial No."165,39l 9 Claims. (01. 270-86) The present invention relates to folding and cree sing devices and, although it has a wide range of utility, it is particularly useful in'connection with the folding and creasing of the end sections of wrappers for such articles as adhesive bandage units and the like, to form closure flaps therefor.

In the manufacture and packaging of such articles as adhesive bandages, each bandage unit,

including a piece of adhesive plaster and a gauze pad thereon, is enclosed in a flat tubular wrapper of plain paper, glassine paper or the like, open at both ends. In an intermedizte packag- "ing stage, the end sections of this wrapper tube project beyond the corresponding ends of the adhesive plaster piece therein and are intended to be folded and applied adhesively to the main body of the wrapper tube to close said tube and to seal its contents. The adhesive attachment of the closure flaps may be broken to permit said flaps to be torn off, when access to the contents of the wrapper is desired.

One object of the present invention is to providea new and improved device which willexpeditiously produce in one continuous operation a sharp "neat fold and crease in a'section of'a flexible strip, sheet or similar article, while this arti- "cle -is continuously advancing, which is automatically adjustable, so that its parts will assume proper folding and creasing relationship and will apply proper creasing pressure under all conditions of use, and which is simple in construction,

especially in connection with the shaft mounting of the parts and in the drive therefor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the improved character described particularly adaptable to fold and crease the end sections of list tubular wrappers, such as those for adhesive bandages, in'the operation of closing these wrappers. I v 7 As a feature of the present invention, the device is operable to fold and crease sharply a flexible strip, sheet or other web-like article, while said article is being continuously advanced pest the field of action of said device, andcomprises a pair of opposed folding members defining thereb'etween a generally V-shaped folding slot. These members, in the more specific aspects of the invention, conjointly form a roll and are in the form of rotary discs coaxially mounted for rotation in unison. The confronting end faces of these discs are circumferentially bevelled or otherwise shaped near their outer peripheries to define the generally V-shaped folding slot therebetween, v Extending into the folding slot between the discs,is a creasing blade presenting a creasing edge around which the fold is adapted to be formed. This bladeis'advanta'geouslyin the'form of a rotatable disc-and is mounted axiallybff-center with respect to the vertex of said slot to bear with creasing pressure against the part of the flexible article supported against the bevelled surface of one 'of the folding discs. This latter folding disc is springpressed axially against the operating edge of the creasing blade, to serve effectively as a yieldabl'e platen member for said creasing blade.

Three rotatable elements, namely the two coaxial folding discs and the creasing blade enter into the folding and creasing operation. Asa

feature of the present invention, at least one of these elements is arranged to yield axially and resiliently. As an added feature, two of the elements are axially and resiliently yieldable. For example, both of the coaxially mounted foldin'gdiscs may be mounted, for axial elastic movement or one of these folding discsmay be'axially and resiliently yieldable, while the creasing'blade 'inay'be rendered axially yieldable, either by resiliently mounting it "on its shaft or by making it thin enough to flex resiliently. With this arrangement, the rotatableelements can automaticelly adjust themselves to accommodate sheet-like articles of varying thickness without digging ortearing into the articles, without unduly crushing these articles and without jamthing the device.

Conveyor means are provided for advancing the articles to be folded and creased successively and continuously into the field of action of the device. As an article reaches the. folding slot,

the creasing blade operating in said slot pro-' gres'sively bends the advancing article therein and forms a sharp crease thereon.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the "accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a folding and creasing device embodying the present invention;

2 i's-a section of the folding and creasin -device taken approximately along the lines 2 -2 Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section of part "of the device shown in the process of folding and assesses article; and d I Fig. 4 is a perspective of the article folded-and creased by the device of the present invention.

. Re rr n t0. e draw t s we of the present invention is adapted to crease and fold any pliable strip, sheet or other web-like article, but is particularly useful for the creasing and folding of the end wrapper sections of such strip-like articles as adhesive bandage units H] to form closure flaps therefor. An adhesive bandage unit ordinarily comprises a long narrow adhesive plaster piece carrying a small gauze pad and enclosed in a flat wrapper tube ll of glassine paper or other suitable flexible material. In one of its intermediate packaging stages, the wrapper tube ll, open at both ends, has end sections [2 projecting beyond the corresponding ends of the adhesive plaster piece therein. To complete the packaging of the individual unit, the wrapper tube II is creased and folded transversely at one end or at both ends at regions outwardly beyond the adhesive plaster piece, and the resulting end wrapper sections, in the form of closure flaps l2, are then secured, as for example by adhesive, to the main body of the wrapper tube to complete the package. These closure flaps may be lifted out of adhesive attachment to the main body of the wrapper tube and may be easily torn off to permit access to the contents of the wrapper tube.

The device for folding and creasing an end projecting section of the wrapper tube H comprises a pair of opposed folding members [5 and I6 defining therebetween a generally V-shaped folding slot l1. These folding members [5 and I5, shaped as discs, are mounted for rotation in unison about a common axis to form conjointly a roll and at least one of these members is axially spring-pressed towards the other, for the purpose to be made apparent. In the specific form shown, the inner disc i5 is fixed against axial movement and for that purpose is integral or otherwise rigid with a cylindrical hub l8, secured to shaft driven in any suitable manner, and is in the form of a flange extending around and radially outwardly from the hub. The other disc "5 is axially yieldable and is in the form of a flat ring embracing the hub IS on one side of the disc 55 with an axial slide fit. A series of studs 23,

three being shown spaced 120 apart, are threaded into the fixed disc I 5 and pass with slide fits through the yieldable disc l6. A compression spring encircles each of these studs 23 and bears at one end against the disc 16 and at the other end against the head of the corresponding stud.

The discs l5 and I6 are provided at their confronting end faces near their outer peripheries with similar bevelled or chamfered surfaces an and 3| inclined at an acute angle with respect to each other, and desirably at an angle of about with respect to the vertical, to define therebetween the folding slot I! at a total angle of 60.

Cooperating with the folding slot I1 is a creasing blade desirably in the form of a rotary circular disc or plate secured to a shaft 36 extending parallel to the shaft 20 of the discs l5 and I6 and driven by any suitable means. This blade has a double-bevelled or chamfered periphery terminating in a creasing edge 3'! which is sharp enough to form a'flne well-defined crease and fold line 38 in the end section of the strip unit Ill. The bevelled surfaces 39 of this creasing blade 35, flanking the creasing edge 31 are desirably parallel to the bevelled slot surfaces 351 and 3| at their lines of tangency and, in the specific construction illustrated, are at an angle of 60 to each other.

The creasing blade 35 extends into the folding slot H, but not to the base of said slot, and is mounted axially outwardly off-center with respect to the vertex of said slot, to cause its creasing edge 31 to press the strip unit iii against the bevelled surface 3! of the yieldaole spring-pressed disc and against the action of the springs 25 and to form thereby a crease in said unit. The folding disc is by that means serves as a, platen member for the creasing blade 35.

Since the folding disc 15 is fixed against axial movement, it is desirable that the creasing blade 35 be rendered axially yieldable. For that pur-- pose, the creasing blade 35 is thin enough and resilient enough to yield axially to a limited extent at the section of its periphery extending into the V-slot I1.

For continuously advancing the strip units it to be creased successively into the field of action of the folding and creasing device, there is provided a suitable conveying or feeding system shown in the form of a conveyor chain to of wellknown articulated link construction passing over suitable drive and supporting sprockets (not shown) and carrying a series of pushers l This conveyor chain 43' has a substantially horizontal top run 42 approximately at the level of the folding slot I I. Pushers 4|, when on this top run 42, are adapted to engage the longitudinal edges of the strip units It! on one side thereof and to advance them sidewise and edgewise towards the field of action of the folding and creasing device. A supporting table or bed 33, at the top level of the folding disc [5, is provided on the side of the conveyor chain 40 opposite the folding discs 15 and 16.

In the drawings, only one folding and creasing device and one conveyor chain 413 with associated pushers 4| are shown on one side of the supporting table 43. However, it is to be understood that where the strip unit id is to be folded and creased at both ends, as in the case of an adhesive bandage unit, another folding and creasing device and a conveyor chain it with pushers cl similar to those shown and described are disposed on the opposite side of the supporting table 3 to operate simultaneously with the corresponding device and chain shown in the drawings.

Where the fold and crease is to be produced only at one end of the unit 1!], the means for pushing the unit through the field of action of the folding and creasing device could be more positive than the pushers 4| shown, to prevent displacement of said unit during the folding and creasing operation.

In the operation of the folding and creasing device shown, the strip units is resting side by side on the supporting table 43, with their end sections overlapping the opposite edges of said table and extending beyond the two folding and creasing devices, are advanced continuously sidewise and edgewise by the pushers ti on the two conveyor chains 40 on the opposite sides of said table. As the end sections of these strip units It are successively moved over the V-sl0ts H, the creasing blades 35 come into play to tuck the end sections into the slots and to thereby progressively fold them. As each end section of a strip unit approaches the creasing station, the

part of said section passing over the disc H5 is gradually bent downwardly into the v-slot il, without creasing it, while the outer end part 12 of said section is folded upwardly abruptly about the peripheral edge 31 of the creasing blade 35 by the bevelled surface 31 of the yieldable disc 16. When the end section of the strip unit reaches the lowermost region of the V-slot ll, said section will be pressed against the bevelled surface 31 of the yieldable disc it by the creasing blad 35 and said disc will be displaced axially as said creasing blade --suiiiciently-to stress the lblade '35-presses saidsection against the-inclined -surface =3l of theyieldable-disc lfipthe creasing "and folding -action-iseifected neatly andsharply withoutcutting into any of the layers of the strip Amitan'd without in any way injuring them.

I-he resilient y-ieldable mounting of the disc 15 serves not-only to maintainthe creasing pres- :sure under safesprin'g-controlled limits, but also serves to accommodate said disc automatically any irregularity in the axial position of the cr'easing blade 35, to any obliquity in the position of said creasing blade with respect to its supporting shaft 36, and to any irregularities in the thicknesse of the stripunit It! presented to the action of the folding and creasing device.

A thick strip unit requires more clearance 'on'both sides of the creasing blade 35 adjacent to bevelled surfaces 39 than'a thin one. Assuming that the disc l5 alone is axially yieldable and thatthe clearance between the disc and i the creasing blade i axially fixed, the blade would tend to dig in and tear the paper, if the section .of the strip uniton the side adjacent to the disc l5 should be unusually thick. In the construction shown, since the creasing blade 35 is thin and resilient, it will yield axially to accommodate for any increase in the thickness of the strip unit H] on the side thereof adjacent to the axially fixed disc l5 and will transmit its movement to the yieldable disc I6. This disc is can yield sufiiciently to accommodate both for the yield in the creasing blade 35 and for any increase in clearance necessary between said blade and said disc, as a result .of an increase in the thickness of the strip unit Hi between said .disc and said blade.

The same result could be accomplished with a rigid creasing blade 35 by permitting it to yield resiliently along its axis or by permitting the disc I5 to yield resiliently along its axis independently of the disc l6.

Since the folding and creasing operations are carried out simultaneously at both ends of the strip unit In, any tendency of either folding and creasing device to displace the unit during these a operations is counterbalanced by the corresponding displacing tendency of the other folding and creasing device, thereby maintaining the unit in its true course.

During the folding and creasing operations described, the section of the strip unit ID inwardly of the fold line 38 is bent bluntly over the bevelled surface 3!] of the disc I5 without creasing. After the end section l2 of the strip unit Ill has been folded as shown in Fig. 3 to define the closure flap, the part of the strip unit I0 which has been bent over the bevelled surface 38 of the disc I5 i straightened out in line with the main body of the strip unit as a result of the inherent resiliency of the material from which the strip unit is made, causing the end folded closure flap l2 to assume an acute angle with respect to the main body of the strip unit. This makes it easy for the flap to be pressed down by a subsequent operation and to be attached to the main body of the strip unit desirably by adhesive.

Only a single fold has been shown at one end of the strip unit l0. However, it may be desirable to first make a narrow fold at the end of each wrapperitubeto:sealisaid-tube anathema wider fold to *form the-tenable flaps :by :which :access to the contents of: the tube may bargained. Both folds at each end of the wrapper "tube may "be formed in successive'stepsiby:the:same creasing device or by successive ,creasing devices :of :the general character described.

'Whati claimed is:

1. A device for ifolding :and creasing zpliable article's, comprising a pair of coaxial zrotaryfoldingmembers, one of whichis mounted .-.for yieldable movement axially with respectto the other, said members presentingat the outerperipheries of their confronting faces .chamfered surfaces respectivelydefining therebetween a circumferential generally V -shaped folding :slot, and a rotary creasing blade supported onan axis parallel to the axis of said folding membersand havinga peripheral creasing edge extending into said slot to tuck the articles successively into said slo't, said-creasingedge being in aplane axially offset from the vertexplane of said slot, to cause said edge to bear against the chamfered surface of the yieldable folding member, and spring means urging said latter folding member axially toward the other folding member.

2. A device for folding and creasing pliable articles as defined incl-aim 1, the creasing blade being axially and resiliently yieldable.

3. A device for folding and creasing pliable articles as defined in claim 1, the creasing blade being thin enough and resilient enough to yield.

.4. A device for folding :and creasing pliable articles comprising .a ,pair of opposed coaxial rotary folding members defining therebetween a circumferential folding slot across which the articles to be folded and creased are adapted to be advanced, one of said folding members being axially yieldable with respect to the other, spring means :urging the yieldable folding member axially towards the other member, and a rotary creasing blade mounted on an axis parallel to the axis of the folding member and extending into the folding slot for tucking the articles into said slot as they are advanced thereacross, said rotary creasing blade being axially and resiliently yieldable in the same direction as the axially yieldable folding member.

5. A device for folding and creasing pliable articles as defined in claim 4, the creasing blade being thin enough and resilient enough to yield axially.

6. A device for folding and creasing pliable articles comprising a rotatable device provided circumferentially with a substantially V-shaped folding slot defining opposing surfaces converging towards a vertex, the articles to be folded and creased being adapted to be advanced over said slot, and a rotary creasing blade supported an an axis parallel to the axis of said rotatable device and having a peripheral creasing edge extending into said slot to tuck the articles successively into said slot, said creasing edge being in a plane offset from the vertex plane of said slot, to cause said edge to bear against one of said slot surfaces at a localized region spaced from both said vertex and the mouth of the V-slot, and spring means urging said creasing blade and said last-mentioned surface relatively and yieldably towards each other.

'7. A device for folding and creasing pliable articles comprising a pair of coaxial rotary discs mounted for rotation in unison about a common axis and provided at their confronting end faces near their outer peripheries with bevelled sur- 'fa'ces defining therebetween a circumferential folding slot across which the articles to be folded and creased are adapted to be advanced, one of said discs constituting a platen member, a rotary creasing blade member presenting a peripheral creasing edge extending into said slot and positioned to bear said creasing edge against the bevel surface of said platen member at a localized region intermediate the inner and outer peripheries of the last-mentioned bevel surface, and spring means yieldably pressing one of said members axially against the other member to spring-press said last-mentioned bevel surface and said creasing edge together.

8. A device for folding and creasing pliable articles comprising a pair of coaxial rotary disc members mounted for rotation in unison about a common axis and provided at their confronting end faces near their outer peripheries with bevelled surface defining therebetween a circumferential folding v-slot across which the articles to be folded and creased are adapted to be advanced, one of said disc members serving as a platen member, a rotary creasing blade member presenting a peripheral creasing edge extending into said slot and positioned to bear said creasing edge against the bevel surface of said platen member at a localized region intermediate the inner and outer peripheries of the last mentioned bevel surface, two of said members being arranged to yield axially, and spring means pressing said yieldable members axially in directions to urge one disc member axially towards the other disc member and to press said platen member and said creasing blade member relatively axially towards each other, to spring-press the bevel surface on said platen member and said creasing edge together.

9. A device for folding and creasing a flat pliable strip-like article having inherent resiliency comprising a rotatable, device presenting around its circumference a substantially V- shaped folding slot, a creasing member having a creasing edge extending into said slot for tucking the article into said slot as it i advanced across said slot, said creasing member having bevelled surfaces which define its creasing edge and which in a radial direction are much narrower than the bevelled surfaces of the V-shaped folding slot, means for supporting the article in flat position and for simultaneously advancing said article sidewise and edgewise substantially in the plane of said article with its end section passing over said slot between said rotatable device and said creasing member, to cause said end section to bend from its main body into said slot and to form thereby a V-shaped ofiset, while said main body remains supported in fiat position, the inherent resiliency of said article causing said offset to straighten out where it was bent into said V-slot, as said article leaves the field of action of said rotatable device to cause the inner section of said offset to return substantially to the plane of said main body and to cause the outer end section of said offset to assume an acute angle in the form of a flap with respect to the main body of said article.

FRANK J. REYNOLDS.

Kelley July 2, 1946 

